Liquid-to-gas contact device

ABSTRACT

There is provided a liquid-to-gas contact device comprising: a liquid-to-gas contact medium which is a honeycomb structural body formed of a porous material including a plurality of through channels defined by a plurality of partition walls and extending through the structural body in an axial direction, and including a plurality of flow passages extending through the honeycomb structural body from an outer peripheral surface side and formed isolatedly from the through channels; and a container which includes a gas inlet, a gas outlet, a liquid supply port, a storage tank for liquid, and, if desired, a liquid discharge port and in which the liquid-to-gas contact medium is to be stored. A capillarity phenomenon function possessed by the liquid-to-gas contact medium is used to provide the device which has a superior thermal efficiency and which can be constituted to be simple and compact.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a liquid-to-gas contact device which isusable as a cooling device, extracting device, humidity adjustingdevice, and the like.

BACKGROUND ART

At present, influences of human daily lives themselves onto environmentshave raised problems in every field. One of the problems is generationof pollutants caused by incineration of garbage.

For example, an exhaust gas exhausted from municipal waste incineratorscontains soot/dust, hydrogen chloride (HCl), SO_(x), NO_(x), heavymetals including mercury, or minor constituents such as dioxin, and itis necessary to remove these toxic substances from a viewpoint ofenvironmental protection. Above all, with respect to dioxins (genericterm of polychlorinated dibenzo oxine: PCDD and polychlorinated dibenzofuran: PCDF), it has been reported that dioxins are remarkably strong intoxicity and further have carcinogen, and trapping/collecting/removingof dioxins has been taken up as an urgent problem.

However, when the exhaust gas from the incinerator is treated, dioxinscannot be reduced to a desired low concentration in some case.

That is, dioxins generated in a incineration process of garbage aresubstantially decomposed in a secondary combustion chamber, but thetemperature of the incinerator exhaust gas needs to be lowered to a lowtemperature suitable for dust collection from a high temperature atabout 350 to 900° C. in exhaust gas treatment processes such as a heatrecovery process, cooling reaction process, and dust collection process.In this case, from a viewpoint of prevention of recomposition of dioxin,it is necessary to quench/pass the gas through a de novo resynthesistemperature region of dioxin (in the vicinity of about 300° C.) in ashort time.

When the de novo resynthesis temperature region (300° C.) of dioxin israpidly cooled to lower the temperature at 150° C. or less, a device isenlarged in gas cooling of a conventional heat exchanger type, and thishas been inefficient.

Therefore, vaporization latent heat has been used to perform the coolingby water spray, but a large volume is required, and this has a problemthat equipment of the device is also enlarged in size and much runningcost is required.

Additionally, a so-called honeycomb structural body is a structural bodyin which a plurality of cell arrays constituted of a large number ofjuxtaposed cells are formed. When a ceramic porous body including microfine pores is used as a base material in addition to a structuralmaterial light in weight and high in strength (for an airplane, and thelike), a catalyst carrier having a large ventilation volume (forpurifying an automobile exhaust gas), and the like, the structural bodyis also used as a dust collecting filter having a filter area per unitarea, or a solid-liquid separation filter. Furthermore, application to acooling device, extracting device, humidity adjusting device, and thelike has also been studied. However, concrete proposals for thesedevices cannot be said to be complete in practicality in actualsituations.

The present invention has been developed in consideration of theproblems possessed by the related art, and an object of the presentinvention is to provide a liquid-to-gas contact device which allowsliquid to permeate a plurality of partition walls from an outerperipheral surface side of a honeycomb structural body by a capillarityphenomenon and which uses vaporization latent heat generated at the timeof contact of a gas with the liquid and which can accordingly besuperior in thermal efficiency, simple, and compact.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a liquid-to-gas contact devicecomprising: a gas supply section; and a liquid supply section,characterized in that a honeycomb structural body formed of a porousmaterial is used as a liquid-to-gas contact medium.

Moreover, the present invention relates to a method of using theliquid-to-gas contact device. Firstly, there is provided the use as acooling device, that is, a gas cooling method comprising the steps of:using a liquid-to-gas contact device comprising a liquid-to-gas contactmedium which is a honeycomb structural body formed of a porous materialincluding a plurality of through channels defined by a plurality ofpartition walls and extending through the structural body in an axialdirection, and including a plurality of flow passages extending thehoneycomb structural body from an outer peripheral surface side andformed isolatedly from the through channels, and a container including agas inlet, a gas outlet, a liquid supply port, a liquid storage tank,and, if desired, a liquid discharge port for storing the liquid-to-gascontact medium; passing a gas (including a gas body) through theplurality of through channels which are defined and formed by theplurality of partition walls of the liquid-to-gas contact medium andwhich extend through the axial direction of the honeycomb structuralbody; passing a liquid through the flow passages which extend from theouter peripheral surface side of the honeycomb structural body and whichare formed isolatedly from the through channels; allowing the liquid topermeate the partition walls on the side of the through channels with acapillarity phenomenon to bring the gas into contact with the liquid;allowing the liquid to permeate the partition walls on the side of thethrough channels by a capillarity phenomenon to bring the gas intocontact with the liquid; and cooling the gas by a vaporization latentheat generated at the time of the contact of the gas with the liquid.

Secondly, there is provided the use as an extracting device, that is, amethod of condensing a solution, comprising the steps of: using aliquid-to-gas contact device comprising a liquid-to-gas contact mediumwhich is a honeycomb structural body formed of a porous materialincluding a plurality of through channels defined by a plurality ofpartition walls and extending through the structural body in an axialdirection, and including a plurality of flow passages extending throughthe honeycomb structural body from an outer peripheral surface side andformed isolatedly from the through channels, and a container including agas inlet, a gas outlet, a liquid supply port, a liquid storage tank,and, if desired, a liquid discharge port for storing the liquid-to-gascontact medium; passing a gas (including a gas body) through theplurality of through channels which are defined and formed by theplurality of partition walls of the liquid-to-gas contact medium andwhich extend through the axial direction of the honeycomb structuralbody; passing a liquid through the flow passages which extend from theouter peripheral surface side of the honeycomb structural body and whichare formed isolatedly from the through channels; allowing the liquid topermeate the partition walls on the side of the through channels with acapillarity phenomenon to bring the gas into contact with the liquid;allowing the liquid to permeate the partition walls on the side of thethrough channels by a capillarity phenomenon to bring the gas intocontact with the liquid; and evaporating a solvent with a vaporizationlatent heat generated at the time of the contact of the gas with thesolution to condensate the solution in the flow passages.

Thirdly, there is provided the use as a humidity adjusting device, thatis, a humidification method comprising the steps of: using aliquid-to-gas contact device comprising a liquid-to-gas contact mediumwhich is a honeycomb structural body formed of a porous materialincluding a plurality of through channels defined by a plurality ofpartition walls and extending through the structural body in an axialdirection, and including a plurality of flow passages extending throughthe honeycomb structural body from an outer peripheral surface side andformed isolatedly from the through channels, and a container including agas inlet, a gas outlet, a liquid supply port, a liquid storage tank,and, if desired, a liquid discharge port for storing the liquid-to-gascontact medium; passing a gas such as air through the plurality ofthrough channels which are defined and formed by the plurality ofpartition walls of the liquid-to-gas contact medium and which extendthrough the axial direction of the honeycomb structural body; passing aliquid such as tap water through the flow passages which extend from theouter peripheral surface side of the honeycomb structural body and whichare formed isolatedly from the through channels; allowing the tap waterto permeate the partition walls on the side of the through channels witha capillarity phenomenon to bring the air into contact with the tapwater; allowing the tap water to permeate the partition walls on theside of the through channels by a capillarity phenomenon to bring theair into contact with the tap water; evaporating the tap water by avaporization latent heat generated at the time of the contact of the airwith the tap water; and allowing the air to contain water vapor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1( a) and (b) show one example of a liquid-to-gas contact deviceof the present invention, FIG. 1( a) is a schematic sectional view, andFIG. 1( b) is an A-A sectional view of FIG. 1( a);

FIGS. 2( a) and (b) show another example of the liquid-to-gas contactdevice of the present invention, FIG. 2( a) is a schematic sectionalview, and FIG. 2( b) is an A-A sectional view of FIG. 2( a);

FIGS. 3( a) and (b) show further example of the liquid-to-gas contactdevice of the present invention, FIG. 3( a) is a schematic sectionalview, and FIG. 3( b) is an A-A sectional view of FIG. 3( a);

FIGS. 4( a) and (b) show another example (1) of the liquid-to-gascontact device of the present invention, FIG. 4( a) is a schematicsectional view, and FIG. 4( b) is an A-A sectional view of FIG. 4( a);

FIGS. 5( a) and (b) show another example (2) of the liquid-to-gascontact device of the present invention, FIG. 5( a) is a schematicsectional view, and FIG. 5( b) is an A-A sectional view of FIG. 5( a);

FIGS. 6( a) and (b) show another example (3) of the liquid-to-gascontact device of the present invention, FIG. 6( a) is a schematicsectional view, and FIG. 6( b) is an A-A sectional view of FIG. 6( a);

FIGS. 7( a) and (b) show another example (4) of the liquid-to-gascontact device of the present invention, FIG. 7( a) is a schematicsectional view, and FIG. 7( b) is an A-A sectional view of FIG. 7( a);

FIGS. 8( a) and (b) show another example (5) of the liquid-to-gascontact device of the present invention, FIG. 8( a) is a schematicsectional view, and FIG. 8( b) is an A-A sectional view of FIG. 8( a);

FIGS. 9( a) and (b) show another example (6) of the liquid-to-gascontact device of the present invention, FIG. 9( a) is a schematicsectional view, and FIG. 9( b) is an A-A sectional view of FIG. 9( a);

FIG. 10 is a graph showing a relation of temperature of combustionexhaust gas with respect to an elapsed water supply time in Example 1;

FIG. 11 is a graph showing the relation of the temperature of thecombustion exhaust gas with respect to the elapsed water supply time inExample 2;

FIG. 12 is a graph showing a relation between water supply amount(kg/min) and temperature reduction ΔT(K) in the example; and

FIG. 13 is a graph showing a relation between water absorbing property(water absorbing index) and porosity in an average pore diameter of ahoneycomb structural body.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A liquid-to-gas contact device of the present invention includes aliquid-to-gas contact medium, and a container for storing theliquid-to-gas contact medium including a gas inlet, a gas outlet, aliquid supply port, a liquid storage tank, and, if desired, a liquiddischarge port.

Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, the liquidpermeates a plurality of partition walls from an outer peripheralsurface side of a honeycomb structural body which is the liquid-to-gascontact medium by a capillarity phenomenon, a vaporization latent heatgenerated at the time of contact of the gas with the liquid is used tofulfill a desired function, and accordingly there is provided theliquid-to-gas contact device which is superior in thermal efficiency,simple, and compact.

The liquid-to-gas contact medium in the present invention is aliquid-to-gas contact medium constituted of a porous material in which aplurality of through channels defined by a plurality of partition wallsand extending through the structural body in an axial direction areformed. Moreover, the contact medium allows the liquid to permeate theplurality of partition walls from the outer peripheral surface side ofthe honeycomb structural body and passes the gas through the throughchannels and brings the liquid into contact with the gas in the vicinityof the partition walls to fulfill a desired function.

For the container in which the liquid-to-gas contact medium is stored,as long as strength is secured in accordance with application, thematerial is not limited, but a container formed of a metal or a resin isusually preferably used. The gas inlet and gas outlet are disposed inthe container. When a hollow container such as a cylindrical containeris used as the container, either one opening may be used as the gasinlet, and the other opening may be used as the gas outlet.

The liquid supply port, the liquid storage tank, and, if desired, theliquid discharge port may be disposed in appropriate portions inaccordance with the application of the device, and in this case, thereis not any special limitation.

It is to be noted that the liquid-to-gas contact medium in the presentinvention is formed of a ceramic. Therefore, when the medium is storedin the container, a cushion material is preferably used. As this cushionmaterial, ceramic fiber, and the like are preferably used.

As long as flow passages 12 in the liquid-to-gas contact medium of thepresent invention have a function capable of allowing the liquid tocontact the gas in the liquid-to-gas contact medium in accordance with ause purpose, especially a shape, structure, and the like are notlimited. Details of a shape, size, arrangement position, and the likewhich have to be usually possessed by the liquid-to-gas contact mediumwill be described later. For example, for a honeycomb structural body 10including a plurality of through channels which are defined by aplurality of partition walls and which extend through the honeycombstructural body in the axial direction, hole portions are made to aspecific depth at a specific interval so as to extend through an outerperipheral portion from through channel openings. Thereafter, an openingend of the flow passage 12 is clogged with a clogging portion to apredetermined thickness from at least one terminal end of the honeycombstructural body 10 to form the flow passage.

An embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described indetail with reference to the drawings.

In the liquid-to-gas contact device of the present invention, forexample, as shown in FIGS. 1( a) and (b) and FIGS. 2( a) and (b), theliquid-to-gas contact medium 10 is the honeycomb structural body 10formed of a porous material, and include a plurality of through channels(cells) 14 which are defined by a plurality of partition walls and whichare formed extending through the structural body in the axial direction,and the flow passages 12 which extend through from the outer peripheralsurface side of the honeycomb structural body 10 and which are formedisolatedly from the through channels 14.

In the liquid-to-gas contact device of the present invention shown inthese figures, a gas 40 is passed through the through channels (cells)14, a liquid 30 is passed through the flow passages 12, the gas 40 isaccordingly allowed to contact the liquid 30 in the vicinity of thepartition walls, the liquid 30 is allowed to permeate the partitionwalls on the flow passages 12 side by the capillarity phenomenon, andvaporization of the liquid by the contact of the gas 40 with the liquid30 is used.

Here, main characteristics of the liquid-to-gas contact device of thepresent invention lie in that a contact area with the gas can beenlarged by the use of the honeycomb structural body, the honeycombstructural body is formed of the porous material having a minute porediameter, and therefore the capillarity phenomenon can be used tovaporize the liquid with very high efficiency.

For example, the liquid-to-gas contact device shown in FIGS. 1( a) and(b) and FIGS. 2( a) and (b) is constituted of the honeycomb structuralbody 10 in which the flow passages 12 are disposed, a metal container 20including a storage tank 22 in which the honeycomb structural body 10 isstored to form a gas flow passage and which supplies the liquid 30 tothe flow passages 12, and a liquid supply tube 24 for supplying theliquid 30 to the storage tank 22. Here, it is important to position anddispose at least either one end of the flow passage 12 in a positionwhere a height of the liquid 30 stored in the storage tank for theliquid 22 is sufficiently covered with the height of the flow passage 12in a flow direction of a gas flow, so that the liquid can efficientlyflow into the flow passages 12.

In the above-described liquid-to-gas contact device, the liquid can beevaporated with the vaporization latent heat generated at the time ofthe contact of the gas with the liquid with very high efficiency, andtherefore the device can preferably be used as a cooling device forcooling gas or a humidity adjusting device for imparting liquid vapor tothe gas. Moreover, the device can also preferably be used as a vaporizerfor vaporizing combustible liquid with good efficiency to generate acombustible mixture gas.

Moreover, the liquid-to-gas contact device shown in FIGS. 3( a) and (b)is constituted: of the honeycomb structural body 10 in which the flowpassages 12 are disposed; the metal case 20 including the storage tank22 in which the honeycomb structural body 10 is stored to form the gasflow passage and which supplies a solution 32 to the flow passages 12; asolution supply tube 26 for supplying the solution 32 to the storagetank 22; and a solution recovery tube 28 for recovering a concentratedsolution 33 from the storage tank 22.

Since the solvent in the solution 32 can be evaporated by thevaporization latent heat generated at the time of the contact of the gas40 with the solution 32 very highly efficiently, the above-describedliquid-to-gas contact device can preferably be used as an extractingdevice for condensing the solution 32 in fields of food industry andchemical industry.

It is to be noted that the configuration of the flow passages 12 in thecell opening surface of the honeycomb structural body 10 is not limitedto the configuration shown in FIGS. 1( a) and (b), FIGS. 2( a) and (b),and FIGS. 3( a) and (b), and a combined shape of a concentric circle andcross shown in FIG. 4( b) may also be used. A zigzag shape in whichopening positions are alternately disposed in a side surface as shown inFIG. 5( b), or a configuration in which curb shapes are appropriatelyselected or combined may also be used.

FIGS. 8( a) and (b) show an example in which the flow passage is formedin a permeation direction of the liquid. As shown in these figures, inorder to efficiently and easily supply a fluid into the flow passages12, it is preferable to optimize the shapes/arrangement of the flowpassages 12 in the cell opening surface in accordance with the shape ofthe storage tank for the liquid 22 for supplying the liquid to thehoneycomb structural body 10.

Moreover, needless to say, the positions of the flow passages 12disposed in the honeycomb structural body 10 for use as theabove-described liquid-to-gas contact medium, especially a distance fromthe cell opening surface and a sectional shape shown by c in FIGS. 1( a)and 2(a), a shape and a sectional area shown in FIGS. 1( a) and 2(a),that is, an area given by width a of the flow passage×length b of theflow passage in FIGS. 1( a) and 2(a), and an interval between the flowpassages, that is, d in FIGS. 1( a) and 2(a) are determined by thematerial, porosity, and average pore diameter of the honeycombstructural body for use as the liquid-to-gas contact medium, and arepreferably appropriately determined in consideration of the relationwith the application of the liquid-to-gas contact device, especiallyevaporation properties.

Therefore, when micro hole portions in the partition walls sufficientlyfunction as the flow passages depending on the application of theliquid-to-gas contact device or the honeycomb structural body for use,as shown in FIGS. 7( a) and (b), the honeycomb structural body 10 can beused without disposing especially separate flow passages. Needless tosay, considering that the function can be fulfilled regardless of theuse purpose, operation conditions, and the like, it is preferable todispose a plurality of separate flow passages.

With the honeycomb structural body for use as the liquid-to-gas contactmedium in the present invention, optimum shape, size, cell shape, cellhole diameter, cell interval (cell wall thickness), and the like may beselected in the relation with the application of the liquid-to-gascontact device, and are not especially limited as long as the conditionsare satisfied.

It is to be noted that an interval d between the flow passages 12preferably satisfies the following conditions in the relation with a gasflow rate Q (Nm³/min) per a volume of 1 l of the honeycomb structuralbody:(d)<20×(α/Q)[mm]

For example, as the sectional shape of the honeycomb structural body foruse as the liquid-to-gas contact medium in the present invention, acircle (see FIGS. 1( a) (b) to FIGS. 8( a) (b)), a square (see FIGS. 9(a) (b)), a rectangle, or a hexagon can be used in the cylindrical body.For the shape of each cell, various shapes such as the circle, triangle,quadrangle, pentangle, and hexagon can also be used.

The honeycomb structural body for use as the liquid-to-gas contactmedium in the present invention may usually appropriately be selectedfrom structural bodies having a rib (partition wall) thickness of 1.5 to32 mil (0.0375 to 0.8 mm) and a cell density of 10 to 1200 cpsi (about1.6 cells to 186 cells/cm²) in consideration of the application.

Moreover, the honeycomb structural body for use as the liquid-to-gascontact medium in the present invention may appropriately be selectedfrom those having a porosity of 10 to 70% and an average pore diameterof 5 to 100 μm in consideration of the application.

Furthermore, the material of the honeycomb structural body for use asthe liquid-to-gas contact medium in the present invention is notespecially limited as long as the material is porous, but at least oneporous material selected from a group consisting of cordierite, alumina,mullite, SiC, and silicon nitride is preferable, and the material ispreferably selected in consideration of the application.

The present invention will hereinafter be described based on examples inmore detail, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

EXAMPLE 1

(Liquid-to-gas Contact Device: Cooling of Combustion Exhaust Gas)

In a honeycomb structural body (diameter of 118 mm, length of 60 mm)formed of cordierite having a porosity of 35% and an average porediameter of 10 μm and including a ell structure with a rib thickness of80 μm and a cell density of 62 cells/cm², 13 flow passages 12 eachhaving a width (a) of 1.3 mm (for one cell), a height (b) of 15 mm andeach having a rectangular sectional shape vertically long in an axialdirection were made at an interval (d) of 5 mm so as to extend throughan outer peripheral portion from a through channel opening of thehoneycomb structural body 10. Thereafter, the open end of each flowpassage 12 was clogged with a clogging member with a thickness (c) of 10mm from the terminal end of the honeycomb structural body 10 [see FIGS.1( a) and (b)].

As shown in FIGS. 1( a) and (b), the honeycomb structural body 10 wasstored in the cylindrical metal container 20 via a mat 21 also servingas a seal, and the water 30 was started to flow into the flow passages12 from the storage tank 22 attached to the metal container 20.Thereafter, a combustion exhaust gas of propane gas (gas temperature of500° C.) was passed toward an upper gas exhaust port disposed in thecontainer from a lower gas supply port of the metal container 20 at aflow rate of 0.7 Nm³/min, and the water 30 was supplied from the watersupply tube 24 at a flow rate of 180 cc/min. Results are shown in FIG.10.

EXAMPLES 2 and 3

(Liquid-to-gas Contact Device: Cooling of Combustion Exhaust Gas)

In the honeycomb structural body (diameter of 118 mm, length of 60 mm)formed of cordierite having a porosity of 35% and an average porediameter of 10 μm and including a ell structure with a rib thickness of80 μm and a cell density of 62 cells/cm², 11 flow passages 12 eachhaving a width (a) of 3.8 mm (for three cells), a height (b) of 15 mmand each having a rectangular sectional shape vertically long in theaxial direction were made at an interval (d) of 4.6 mm so as to extendthrough the outer peripheral portion from the through channel opening ofthe honeycomb structural body 10. Thereafter, the open end of each flowpassage 12 was clogged with the clogging member with a thickness (c) of10 mm from the terminal end of the honeycomb structural body 10 [seeFIGS. 2( a) and (b)].

As shown in FIGS. 2( a) and (b), the honeycomb structural body 10 wasstored in the cylindrical metal container 20 via the mat 21 also servingas the seal, and the water 30 was started to flow into the flow passages12 from the storage tank 22 attached to the metal container 20.Thereafter, the combustion exhaust gas of propane gas (gas temperatureof 500° C.) was passed toward the upper gas exhaust port disposed in thecontainer from the lower gas supply port of the metal container 20 at aflow rate of 0.7 Nm³/min, and the water 30 was supplied from the watersupply tube 24 at a flow rate of 180 cc/min (Example 2). Results areshown in FIG. 11.

Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 2( a) and (b), the honeycomb structural body10 was stored in the cylindrical metal container 20 via the mat 21 alsoserving as the seal, and the water 30 was started to flow into the flowpassages 12 from the storage tank 22 attached to the metal container 20.Thereafter, the combustion exhaust gas of propane gas (gas temperatureof 500° C.) was passed toward the upper gas exhaust port in thecontainer from the lower gas supply port of the metal container 20 at aflow rate of 0.7 Nm³/min, and the water 30 was supplied from the watersupply tube 24 at a flow rate of 260 cc/min (Example 3).

CONSIDERATIONS: EXAMPLES 1 TO 3

In Example 1, as shown in FIG. 10, an outlet gas temperature was 200°C., and it was possible to lower a gas temperature by 300° C. at thetime when a combustion gas temperature was steady (180 sec).

Moreover, in Example 2, a flow passage volume was set to be larger thanthat of Example 1, and therefore as shown in FIG. 11, the outlet gastemperature was 130° C., and it was possible to lower the temperature ofthe combustion exhaust gas by 370° C. at the time when the temperatureof the combustion exhaust gas was steady (180 sec).

Furthermore, in Example 3, a water supply amount was increased to 260cc/min on the same conditions as those of Example 2. Accordingly, theoutlet gas temperature was 70° C., and it was possible to lower thetemperature of the combustion exhaust gas by 430° C. at the time whenthe temperature of the combustion exhaust gas was steady (180 sec).

At this time, it was confirmed that the water supply amount (kg/min) hada proportional relation with respect to a temperature reduction ΔT(K) asshown in FIG. 12. (Example 4: Optimization of Flow Passages of HoneycombStructural Body for Use in Liquid-to-gas Contact Device)

The honeycomb structural body having the same cell structure (12 mil[about 0.3 mm], 200 cpsi) and a size of φ20 mm×50 mm was assumed as astandard sample shape, and 3.5 cc of water in a depth of 5 mm in Schalewith φ30 mm was prepared. A water absorbing property was evaluated witha time required for taking up the water, when the honeycomb sample wasvertically disposed in the water.

Cordierite having a porosity of 30% and average pore diameter of 10 μmwas used as a base to calculate water absorption index α. A relationbetween the water absorption index α and the porosity is shown in FIG.13.

It has been found that when different materials are used in accordancewith the water absorption index α, it is important to appropriatelyadjust the interval d of the flow passages 12 of the honeycombstructural body 10 shown in FIGS. 1( a) and (b), FIGS. 2( a) and (b),FIGS. 3( a) and (b), FIGS. 4( a) and (b), FIGS. 5( a) and (b), FIGS. 6(a) and (b), FIGS. 7( a) and (b), FIGS. 6( a) and (b), and FIGS. 9( a)and (b) as in the following equation, in order to fulfill a capabilityof the liquid-to-gas contact device.

For the gas flow rate Q (Nm³/min) per the volume 1 l of the honeycombstructural body,(Interval d of the flow passages)<20×(α/Q) [mm]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITYI

A liquid-to-gas contact device of the present invention can preferablybe used in a cooling device, solution condensing device, extractingdevice, humidity adjusting device, and combustible liquid vaporizer.

Especially in the liquid-to-gas contact device of the present invention,a liquid is allowed to permeate a plurality of partition walls from anouter peripheral surface side of a honeycomb structural body by acapillarity phenomenon, contact opportunities between gas and liquid arelargely increased, and therefore the device can be superior in thermalefficiency, and simple and compact.

Moreover, with the use as the cooling device, vaporization latent heatof the liquid can be used in the simple and compact structure, andtherefore the device is superior in installation property and economicalefficiency.

1. A liquid-to-gas contact device comprising: a liquid-to-gas contactmedium; a gas inlet; a gas outlet; a liquid supply port; a tank forliquid; and a container for the liquid-to-gas contact medium; wherein:the liquid-to-gas contact medium is constituted of a honeycombstructural body, the honeycomb structural body including a plurality ofgas flow passages in the form of a plurality of through channels definedby a plurality of partition walls and extending through the honeycombstructural body in an axial direction, and a plurality of liquid flowpassages formed to extend through the honeycomb structural body from anouter peripheral surface side of the honeycomb structural body; the tankfor the liquid is formed as a part of the container, and is constitutedin such a manner that the outer peripheral surface of the honeycombstructural body forms an inner peripheral surface of the tank for theliquid when the liquid-to-gas contact medium is disposed in thecontainer; and the plurality of partition walls compriseunidirectionally permeable structures that prevent gas in the gas flowpassages from entering into the liquid flow passages, but allow liquidin the liquid flow passages to permeate into the gas flow passages bycapillary action.
 2. The liquid-to-gas contact device according to claim1, wherein at least one end of the plurality of flow passages for theliquid has an opening with a height extending in a gas flow direction,the liquid-to-gas contact medium is disposed in such a maimer that aheight of the liquid stored in the storage tank for the liquid isaligned with the height of the opening and sufficiently covered by theopening.
 3. A device for cooling a gas, comprising: the liquid-to-gascontact device according to claim
 1. 4. A device for condensing asolution, comprising: the liquid-to-gas contact device according toclaim
 1. 5. A humidifying device, comprising: the liquid-to-gas contactdevice according to claim
 1. 6. A liquid-to-gas contact devicecomprising: a liquid-to-gas contact medium; a gas inlet; a gas outlet; aliquid supply port; a tank for liquid; and a container for theliquid-to-gas contact medium, wherein: the liquid-to-gas contact mediumis constituted of a honeycomb structural body, the honeycomb structuralbody including a plurality of gas flow passages in the form of aplurality of through channels defined by a plurality of partition wallsand extending through the honeycomb structural body in an axialdirection, and a plurality of liquid flow passages formed to extendthrough the honeycomb structural body from an outer peripheral surfaceside of the honeycomb structural body; and the tank for the liquid isformed as a part of the container, and is constituted in such a maimeras to surround the honeycomb structural body such that the outerperipheral surface of the honeycomb structural body forms an innerperipheral surface of the tank for the liquid when the liquid-to-gascontact medium is disposed in the container.